Automatic control for printing-presses.



S. L. TUCKER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1912.

Patented May 5, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WlTNESSES a '0 %/@M v ATTORNEYS S. L. TUCKER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1912. I

5 SHEETSSHEET &.

Patented May 5, 1914.

ATTORNEYS S. L. TUCKER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 9, 1912.

1,095,75 1. Patented May 5, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J 7/ a? 1 I I ATTORNEYS S. L. TUCKER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 9, 1912. 1,095,755 1. Patented May 5, 1914.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS S. L. TUCKER.

AUTOMATIC 001mm FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 9, 1912.

Patented May 5, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTUHN EYS WITNESSES WW reliableresults, although it is to be" undersrarns PATENT or IQE.

SAMUEL LEWIS TUCKER, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 ARTHUR. B. .HUEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Application filed au ust 9, 1912. Serial No. 714,202.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL LEWIS TUCKER, a citizen-of the United States, residing in the city of Woodbury, county of Gloucester, Stateof. New Jersey, have 1nvented a new and useful Automatic Control for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing presses or machines of a similar character involving the feeding of sheets of material between an inking roll and a pressing roll or the like and relates more particularly to an automatic control mechanism for varying the relation between the printing or impression roll and thepress roll whenever a sheet or sheets of'material cease to feed. In automatic machines which feed the material sheet by sheet to the machine and then print upon the same, or perform other steps of 'a similar nature, it frequently happens that the sheet feedingmechanism, for one reason or another, fails to'feed a sheet at the proper time and under such conditions, in the present machines, the cycle of operations iscarried out just the same by the other parts of the mechanism as though a sheet had been fed and consequently in the case of animpression roll the ink is deposited, not upon a sheet of paper, but upon the press roll. In view of this action the press roll. becomes soiled and smeared with ink which is then pressed on the rear side of the following sheets as soon as the feeding action is again resumed.

In my present invention I have devised a mechanism for obviating and eliminating the aforesaid disadvantages and defects and havedevised .a mechanism automatic in its operation by means of'which the relation between an impression roll and its coiiperating members may be yaried whenever a sheet of paper fails to feed into the machine and thereby remove one roll from contact with the other and prevent ink being placed or deposited upon the press roll.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one formthereof whichis atpres- .ent preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

ise

stood that the various instrumentalities of WhlCll my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a printing press showing the parts embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the'paper'feedmg mechanism disclosingthe relation of the feed rolls when a sheet of paper is passing through the said rolls to the printing mecha- DISIIL. Fig. 3 represents a portion of the mechanism shown in F ig. 2 disclosing the position of the feed rollers when the sheet of material is not in position. Fig. 4 represents a section of the feed rollers disclosing in connection therewith a modified contact device for making and breaking an electrical control circuit. Fig. 5 represents a section on line w.w of Fig. 1'. Fig. 6 represents a plan partly in section of a portion operating mechanism disclosing more particularly the electromagnet control for regulatingthe actuating mechanism for one-0fthe rolls. Fig. .8 represents a detail partly in section of a portion of the actuating connection for the roll mechanism controlled thereby. Fig.9 represents a detail of the.

trigger mechanism carried by the armature of the magnet control. Fig. 10- represents a plan partly in section, of the feed roll mechanlsm.

Similar numerals of reference. indicate corresponding parts in the figures. v

Referring to the drawings :'l' designates the frame of a machine in conjunction with which m and, in tla shown'a's a printing press having as an. adjunct thereof an automatic feed mechanism for the paper. or like material. For the purpose of this application it is not. deemed necessary to give a detailed description of the printing press or of itsat tachment em' bodying the automatic paper feed and therefore only certain parts will be .describedinorder that a clear understanding may be had relative to the functions ofthe mechanism embodyingmy invention.

2' the main drive It will here be noted that but one side of the machine is shown in'the drawings but in view of the fact that the opposite side is identical with the one shown it is not thought necessary to encumber the drawings with a duplicate disclosure.

l0 designates a crank disk fixed to the shaft 7 and carrying a crank pin 11 to which a connecting rod 12' is secured at one end, its other end being pivotally fastened to a spindle 13 of a lug 14:which is fast to the movable table 15 and by which the latter receives a reciprocating motion. The sheets of paper in the present instance are successively fed forward by the movement of this table and are removed one after the other by mechanism suitable for the purpose and pass over a tubular roll 16 to the feed rollers 17 and 18 it being noted however that a lower guide plate 19 is positioned so to receive the paper and has a slot 20 therein through which the periphery of the feed roller 17 projects a suflicient distance to,

produce the required feeding action. A second guide plate 21 is secured above the plate19 in any desired manner and suitably the press roll 6 and serve to carry the sheet veyers 23, which are suitably driven, and

at the proper time and consequently the spaced therefrom so that the material can readily pass between the two plates and be delivered to the automatically actuated grippingdevices 22 which are carried by ejected on the receiving table 24;.

in machines of this or like types it frequently' happens that one or more sheets of paper fail to feed through the machine printing roll impresses the ink directly upon the press roll thereby causing the neat sheet or sheets of paper, to be smeared and coated with ink on the side opposite to the printing surface and it is an object of my invention toprovide a mechanism for obiating and eliminating this disadvantage. In order to effect this result I have in the present embodiment of my invention shown so a mechanism whereby the relation between the impression. roll and the. form roller is varied whenever a sheet of paper fails to pass through the feeding roll and for the purposes of the disclosure have pre ferred to utilize a mechanism for the press roll although it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown or to the shifting of the press roll as a means to the desired end.

The movement of the impression roll 6 is controlled in the present instance by a mechanism which operates to shift the journal blocks 8 relativeto the main frame 1 and consists of togglelevers and 26, the former being pivotally secured to a lug 27 of the block 8 and the latter to a bracket 28 fixed tothe frame 1. Suitable fastening bolts 29 orthe'like are utilized to secure the parts together in order to permit the proper movement.

'30 designates a pin or bolt joining the two links Q5-and 26 together and serving as a pivot which may be shifted to split the toggle and cause the blocks 8 to move in a direction away from the form roll 3. This action is controlled by a link 31 secured at one end to the pivotpin 30 and at the opposite end is pivoted at 32 to one arm of a bell crank 33, the latter being pivoted at 345' to the frame 1 and carrying on the opposite arm thereof a wrist pin 35 to which is secured a block 36.

37 designates a reciprocable crank arm one end of which is preferably provided with a substantially rectangular slot 38 adapted to receive the block 36 with respect tov which the arm 37 may have a sliding action. The opposite end of the arm 37 is provided with a slot 39 through which the'countershaft '5' passes so that proper reciprocation of the arm 37 maytake place. The desired movement is imparted to the arm 37 in the present instance by'means of a cam 40 fixed to the shaft 5 and adapted to engage a cam roller 41 carried by a pin 4.2 suitably fixed to the arm 37. After a movement of the arm 37 by the action of the cam 40 the return stroke takes place, as here shown under the influence of a spring 43 the ends of which are respectively connected to a pin 44; of the arm 37 and a pin. 4-5 of the frame 1. It will thus be seen that as the shaft 5 rotates, a free reciprocation of the arm '37 will take place and as long'as there is no connection between the block 36 and the said arm 37, there will be no movement of the impression roll actuating mechanism embodying the bell crank 33 and its adjuncts.

in order to cause the desired rocking movementef the bell crank 36 i provide in the present instance a pin 46 mounted for sliding movement in the arm 37 and of sulfa cient length to project at certain times within the slot 38 in order to e age the block 36. This pin 46 is provid d with a head i7 which seats on the arm 37 and-is circumferentially re" ed at 4:8 to receive the bifurcated end lever to which is'pivcted at 51 in cars 52 of the arm 37, the said lever engaging a spring 53 riveted or otherwisesecured to the arm 37 and by which it is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 8 that is, with the pin 46 projecting into the slot 38. It will be noted that a clearance space 54 is preferably provided at one 'side ofthe block 36 in order to insure the-pin 46 returning to the position shown in Fig. "8 after' a movement which has removed the said pin out of contact with the block 36. The withdrawal of the pin 46 from the path of the block 36 is affected in the present instance by means of a trip finger 54 whichis adjustably secured by a slot-55 and fastening device 56 to an armature member 57 the latter being provided with a longitudinal frame 60 andthreaded to receive a thumb nut 63 by which the tension of the said spring may be varied. In connection with the engagement of the lever 50 with the finger 54 it will be noted that the former is preferably provided with a beveled face 64 to insure the proper turning movement of the lever 50 when it 1s engaged by the finger 54. The armature 57 is controlled by a pair of magnets 65 on the frame 60 and their ener-' gizationis affected by the closing of an electric circuit controlled by the feed roller 17 and the feed roller 18 or equivalent contact means operated by the movement of a sheet of paper through the aforesaid feed rollers. In connection with the feed roller 18 it will be noted that the same is supported in such a manner that it is normally in contact with the feed roller 17 but may be moved away paper feedinggbetween the two I ollers. The support for the feed roller 18 mprises in the present instance a pair of arms 66 (but one being shown for purposesof illustration) fixed to a spindle 67 freely movablein suitable journals 68 of the frame 1. These arms are of course apertured to receive a portion of the feed roller 18 and attention is directed to the fact that an insulating bushing 69 is interposed between the feed roll 18 and its supporting arm 66 for the purpose of electrically disconnecting'the feed roller 18 from the machine frame 1 or its adjuncts since as will later appear, the frame 1 forms one terminal of the circuit previously mentioned.

70 designates a binding post fixedly secured to the arm 66 and insu ated therefrom by suitable material 71 the said post carrya ing a contact clip 72 which is under sufficient tension to retain it in electrical contact with the feed roll 18.

73 designates a conductor wire connected at one end to the bindingpost 70, by means of the usual thumb nut 74, and at its other end connected to the positive terminal of a batter 75.

76 esignates the conductor wire leading from the negative side of the battery, in the present instance to a knife switch 77 from which the circuit continues by wayof wire 78 to binding post 79 thence through the magnets 65 to binding post 80., A wire 81 is led from the binding post and secured to a spring arm 82 forming a part of a make and break device of which the other adjunct is a pin83 fixed to a-sl'eeve 84 which rotates. with the shaft 5, it being seen from Fig. 1 that the spring arm 82 is at all times out of contact with the sleevev84 but in the path of movement of the pin 83 and therefore at each revolution of the pin 83 the circuit will be grounded on the main frame 1. The current thus passes through the frame 1 to the uninsula'ted feed roller 17 which thus becomes one terminal of the circuit of which the feed roller 18 in the present instance is the other terminal. The make and break pin 83 is of course so positioned and located on the shaft 5 so as to time its contact with the arm '82 relative to the cycle of operations of the aper feeding mechanism since it will be un erstood that-it is not necessary to maintain aclosed circuit at all times and thus waste the batteries, the closing of the circuit being only necessary when'a sheet of paper should be in position between the feed rollers 17 and 18.

In explaining the operation of my novel mechanislmit will be assumed first that the that when a sheet of paper is fed into'the positic-n shown in Fig. 2, the feed rollers 17 and 18, which are the terminals of the'circuit, will be spaced apart and the circuit broken at this point. Therefore with the pin 83in contact with the spring contact 82, this being its position at this time,- there will be no current in the circuit and consequently the magnets 65 are deener zed so that the armature 57 is held away' rom the magnets by the spring 61and'is in the ositionshownin Fig. 7, namelyin the pat of the lever 50 carriedhy the reciprocating arm 37. Since the arm 37 is constantly reciprocating, the beveled face 64: of the lever 50 will strike the finger 5t depress the spring 53 and raise the pin 46 into the wall of the slot 38 in which position it cannot engage the block 36. In consequence oi? this action the reciprocating arm 37will move entirely free of the block 36 and the impression roll 6 remain in its normal position in contact relation with the form roll 3 so that. the paper may be carried between the two rolls to print and receive an impression.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be assumed that a sheet of paper has failed to feed to the said-rollers 17 and 18 and consequently when the pin 83 makes a circuit with the contact spring 82 the circuit will be closed since the two rollers 17 and 18 are in contact. The closing of the circuit .will energize the magnets 65 which thereupon draw the armature 57 out oi? the path of the lever 50 and the pin 46 remains in the position shown in Fig. 8 and on the stroke of the arm 37 to the left, as shown in this figure, the pin 46 will shift the block 36 and thus rock the bell crank 33. The movement of the bell crank pulls the link 31 downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, breaking the toggle levers 25 and 26, so that the blocks 8 are moved away from the form roll and carry the. impression roll with them and out of contact with the said form roll. There will therefore be no ink deposited on the roll and the parts are notrestoredto their operative position until a sheet of paper is again fed between the rolls 17 and 18. When this occurs the circuit is of course broken, the magnets 65 deenergized and the armsture 57 restored to its position to engage the lever'50 and raise the pin e6 to disconnect the press roll actuating mechanism and the reciprocating arm 37.

In connection with the toggle members 25 and 26 it. will be. noted that I preferably employa threaded stud 86 which is fast to the frame land carries a threaded head 87 whichis adjustable thereon and serves as a stop to limit the movement of the toggle levers and insuring the parts reaching the correct position. A. similar stud 88 and head 89 are utilized inconnection with the move ment of the blocks 8 thereby permitting proper adjustment between the impression roll 6 and form roll 3.

In Fig. 4 l have shown a modification of the circuit closing mechanism controlled by the sheet of'paper the same consisting in the present instance of a contact roll 90 suitably mounted so that a. portion thereof passes throughan opening 91 inthe guide plate 21. This roll is carried by an arm 92 fixed to the clamp 93 by suitable fastening devices 94, it being noted, however, that suitable insulating material 95 is interposed between the said clamp and arm .so that weaver there will be no electrical contact between the two. This clamp 93 is preferably mounted on the spindle 67 heretofore referred to. The terminalwire 7 3 in this embodiment of the invention joins the arm 92 by a binding post 96 and the closing and opening .of the circuit takes placev in substantially. the same manner as that previously described for the feed rollers 17 and 18 although in this instance the plate 19 is the terminal which is grounded on the machine frame instead of the'roller 17.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of an automatic control for printing presses which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and While I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is material feed mechanism adapted to succes sively feed sheets of material, a'pair of feed rolls interposed between said'mechanism and said form roll, an electric circuithaving said feed rolls as-terminals, a make and break de vice for controlling said circuit at a predetermined time, a suitably driven reciprocatory member, means connected-to said im pression roll to shift said roll at'a predetermined time, and means actuated by the closing of said circuit for forming a connection between saidreciprocato'ry member and said shifting means.

2. In a printmg press, the combination of an impression roll, a form roll ,opera'tively.

mounted with respect thereto, an automatic material feed mechanism adapted to suecessively feed sheets of material, a pair of feed rolls interposed between said mechanism and said form roll, an electric circuit having said feed rolls as terminals, a make and break device for controlling the/closing of said circuit at a predetermined time, a recipr'ocatory member suitably operated by a moving part of said press, a movable bearing for said im r'e'ssion roll, a toggle mechanism connects to said'bearing, and means actuated by the closing of said circuit to connectsaid toggle mechanism with said reciprocatory member, whereby saidv toggle is brokento vary the distance between said impression-and form rolls.

feed rolls inter 3. In a printing press, the combinationof an impression roll, a form roll operatively mounted with respect thereto, an automatic material feedmechan'ism adapted to successively feed sheets of material, a pair of feed rolls inter osed between Said mechanism and said. orm roll, an electric circuit having said feed rolls as terminals, a make and break device for controlling the closing of said circuit at a predetermined time, a

reciprocatory member-suitably operated by a moving part of said press, a movable bearing for said impression roll, a toggle mechanlsm connected to said bearing, a pin movably carried by said reciprocatory member, a lever secured'to said toggle and having a portion located in the path of moveme'ntof said pin at certain times, and mea'nsactuated by the closing of'said circult to release said pin to engage said lever, whereby .said

toggle is broken to vary the distance. between said impression and form rolls.

' 4. In a printin press, the combination of an impression r01, a form roll'operatively mounted-with respect thereto, an automatic material feed mechanism adapted to suecessively feed-"sheetsiof material, a pair of sed' between said mechanism, and said orm roll, an electric circuit having said feed rolls as terminals, a make and break device for controlling the closing of said circuit at a predetermined time,'a

reciprocatory member suitably operated by a. -moving part of said press, a movable bearing for said impression roll, a toggle mechanism connected to said bearing, means to transmit movement of said reciprocatory member to said toggle, a magnet in said circuit, and a trip device controlled by said magnet for .said crank, a retractable trip carried by one of these parts and adapted when projected to engage a stop on the other to throw the crank, and automatic controlling means for said trip allowing it to protract only when no sheet is taken on-the impression cylinder.

- 6. In 'athrowsofi mechanism for printingpresses, a' throw-oflf or adjustingcrank, a slotted. link reciprocating on a guide there for on said-crank, a movable trip-pin carried by said link and adapted to project into its slot to engage a-stop on the crank, and automatically-controlled operating means for said trip-pin. I

- SAMUEL LEWIS TUCKER. Witnesses:

H. S. FAIRBANKS, Roenn'r M. BARR. 

